Finding Home
by StarsShadows
Summary: Anne-Sophie de Grantaine has adopted Minette and sent her to Japan to meet her new big brother, the renowned Host Club King. Will she move to have a normal life and possibly fall in love, or will her past come back to haunt her?
1. Prologue

The air is crisp as the breeze blows gently through the cottage garden on the outskirts of Paris. I stand in the small gazebo that overlooks a small pond. I will be leaving France soon. I am confident in my abilities to function in high society and my abilities to pick up the language quickly. I am already able to hold a decent conversation in Japanese, so I should be okay going to the school Mama wants to send me to. I can hear the soft, crunching footsteps as Mama approaches me on the white gravel walkway. Just as softly, they stop. I turn to see her standing in the doorway, watching me with concerned interest.

"Mama…will they like me?" I gaze into my Mama's deep blue eyes worriedly.

"Minette…of course they will." I slowly drop my eyes to my feet and allow my tense shoulders to fall. My eyes water as this fear of rejection over takes me. I haven't even met these people that Mama speaks so highly of and yet I feel like I already know them. At the same time, I'm afraid that they will reject me on the spot.

"Will _he_ like me?" Mama walked over to stand in front of me. She gently lifted my face to look at hers. Her face was so soft and the smile so bright, she really was a beauty to behold.

"He'll love you," she whispered. "He'll give you so many hugs that you won't ever need to be scared. He'll shower you in praises you never thought you needed. He'll come running when you call. He'll be super overprotective and he'll probably get annoying at times…but as soon as he knows that you are family…he'll never stop caring. He'll love you until there is no more love to give and then he'll find a way to love you even more." I give her a watery smile, before pulling myself together a little. I use the back of my hand to wipe my eyes and take a deep breath.

"Mama," I say as I square my shoulders and stand as tall as I can manage. "I give you my word that I'll figure out a way to bring him back to you." I watch as a small sadness flickers in her eyes. "Until then, please be patient. I can do this Mama. I'll bring big brother home…even if it's just for a visit." I wrap my arms around her middle, resting my head near her shoulder. "To fill the void a little Mama, I'll bring you stories on my trips home, mmmkay? I'll bring you his songs and what he smells like. I'll bring you pictures and adventures…so that when that day comes…all you have to do is give him the biggest hug you can give." I pull back from the hug a little to look up into her eyes. Her long blonde hair frames it so delicately as she gives me a watery smile. "I love you Mama."

"I love you too Minette."

"Madame. The limo is ready." After nodding to the butler, Mama smiles at me one more time before leading me out of the gazebo and to the awaiting limo. Once there she speaks to Jackson, my personal butler and body guard.

"Please watch over her in my stead."

"It will be my honor Madame."

"Minette, be good," She cups my face in her hands as she kisses my forehead. "I love you little one." I scrunch up my nose as she gently rubs hers against mine. As she pulls away, I can't help but reach for her again. I wrap my arms around her, resting my head on her chest. I let my tears run as I listen to her heartbeat. I sigh as she runs her fingers through my hair.

"I'm going to miss you Mama."

"I'm going to miss you too." I pull away as Jackson holds the limo door open for me. I turn back to look at Mama one more time. "I love you." I climb in and the door shuts behind me. I'm off on a new adventure. I'm going to bring home big brother and I'm going to make Mama happy. Jackson slides in beside me and the limo gently lurches forward. I turn around and wave out the back windshield at Mama until I can't see her anymore. Sitting properly in the limo again, I lean my head against the cool window as I watch the sun set on the horizon. Soon I'll be on an airplane to Japan. I'll be meeting my Papa and big brother. I'll also be meeting all of his friends. Will they like me? What adventures await us?


	2. Meeting the Host Club

I slowly walk behind Chairman Yuzuru Suoh as he leads me to music room 3 to spend my club time after school. I would have preferred to join a martial arts club, but it was determined that I would not be able to hold back enough to ensure the safety of the other students. I then suggested a music club, but they were all full. Now I'm left with the Chairman's suggestion of the club his son started. Some host club or something. I'm just hoping that I won't have to do anything stupid or against my will. I already had to move to Japan and into an apartment of someone else's choosing. I'm not complaining about the apartment, it's a nice two bedroom apartment on the second floor. The school along with a few stores are within walking distance and it came fully furnished. I already met the neighbors to my left, the Fujiokas. Haruhi and her dad, Ranka, helped me finish moving my boxes in. I didn't have many, but I was grateful none-the-less. Haruhi seemed cool and I hope that we are going to the same school, but I never asked. I technically don't start until next week, but I came in today for a meeting with the Chairman and a tour of the school. Due to this fact, I am currently in black leggings with black combat boots and a coral pink tunic style shirt that falls to about mid-thigh. The tunic has floral embroidery around the v-neck collar and long sleeves. My shoulder length auburn hair cascades gently behind me with a bow pinned to the side, just above my ear. My silver bar bracelet glints in the passing sunshine from it's place on my left wrist. I pull myself out of my thoughts as we approach a large set of double doors. Chairman Suoh turns, looks down and smiles at me. Yes…I'm that short. I'm only 4'11'' and about 100lbs, but I have curves for days, so I don't get mistaken as a child…very often.

"This is music room 3 where the host club meets. Please feel free to turn to them for anything." I nod as he opens the door. I follow in behind him and notice that there are only seven guys occupying a large room. They all stand upon seeing the Chairman waltz in. "Everyone, this is Minette," He gestures to me and I step out from behind him. "Please take good care of her." I smile gently at the Chairman. I then turn to face the group, my nerves rising with every second.

"Minette?" Wait…I recognize that voice.

"Haruhi?" I break into a sunny smile as I realize that my only friend is in this room. I nearly tackle her in a hug before stepping back and taking in her uniform. "Like father like daughter?" She chuckles at me.

"Long story. I'll tell you later. Let me introduce you to everyone." I nod and turn to face the group. "This is Mitsukuni Haninozuka," pointing to a boy not much taller than me who was holding a stuffed rabbit. "We call him Honey. That's Takeshi Morinozuka," She gestured to the tallest man in the room. "We call him Mori. Those two are Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiin," she gestured to a pair of twins. "That's Kyoya Ootori," gesturing to a man in glasses with a black book. "And that is Tamaki Suoh," gesturing to the tall blond man.

"Hello," I give a slight wave. "I'm Minette. I'm from America."

"She's…so…CUTE!" Tamaki screeched before scooping me up into a bone crushing hug. He spun us around and around in circles. I seriously thought I was going to get sick, but just before I got to that point he stopped and put me down. I wavered on my feet for a second before regaining my balance, only to be picked back up by the twins.

"You know…"said Kaoru.

"You are quite short."finished Hikaru. I deadpanned.

"No shit Sherlock." Suddenly two large hands encircle my waist, pulling me from their grasp and set me back down. I look up at Mori and smile in thanks. I obviously know I am short, but at least I don't look like a child. I have boobs and a butt. Suddenly I feel arms encircle my shoulders and pull me into a hug.

"Hey Min-Chan! Do you want to have some cake with me?" Honey asked. I smile sweetly, but I feel a little frustrated as he stands about an inch taller than me…that makes me the shortest in the room.

"I'd love some." Honey giggles and pulls me over to the table Kyoya was seated at as Mori brings us some cake. Mori brings me a piece of chocolate cake and sets it down in front of me. I let my head fall all the way back to look up at him as he straightens. "Thank you very much!" I close my eyes and smile at him before looking back at everyone at the table. Everyone but Kyoya is staring at me. I look worriedly to Haruhi. "Did I do something wrong?" She smiles and just shook her head at me.

"You're…so…CUTE!" I ducked under the table as Tamaki dove over me in attempts to pick me up again. "Come on. Let daddy give you a big hug!"

"I'm pretty sure I'm not supposed to be calling you daddy…" I say under the table.

"What do you think you are supposed to call him?" asks Kyoya.

"Not sure, but the name Tamaki sounds familiar from back home."

"In America?"

"No. In France." I pull myself out from under the table and face everyone's confused looks.

"In France…"

"…but you said you were from America?" I smile at everyone's confusion.

"I was born and raised in America, but was recently adopted by Mama in France." I stated as I take a bite of cake. I bounce a little as the sweetness overtakes my senses and I smile.

"Your file isn't open to me, so who adopted you?" Kyoya looked miffed that he couldn't get to my file. I smile mischievously at him before taking another bite of my cake. Just then the Chairman clears his throat, alerting everyone to his remaining presence.

"Minette," I look over to him. "Remember that you are coming to dinner tonight. I'll send someone for you when it's time to leave."

"Okay!" I say as I tilt my head and smile. Suddenly I'm being picked up into a hug. I see Tamaki on the other side of the table so I know it's not him. I turn slightly and see the Chairman is the one holding me.

"Papa," I deadpan and sigh. "I'm not a doll you can keep picking up."

"But you're just so sweet and cute my darling daughter."

"But Papa…" I turn myself in his arms so that I'm facing him. I start playing with the tie on his chest, looking at him through my long lashes with a pout on my lips. "…if you keep holding me up so high I can't eat my cake. Can't I eat my cake Papa? Please?" I look at him with my biggest puppy dog pout.

"Oh alright." I break into a big smile and throw my arms around his neck.

"Thank you Papa!" I kiss his cheek as he sets me back down. I dig into my cake greedily swinging my feet since they don't touch the floor in this chair.

"I…but I'm an only child…or so I thought?"

"Oh that's why your name sounds so familiar!" I basically whisper to myself before continuing in a normal tone. If only they knew that I knew exactly who everyone was as soon as the door opened. "Mama only adopted me about three months ago. She wanted me to meet you, so she contacted Papa. Papa set up an apartment for me and is letting me go to school here even though I'm only 14. I'll be attending all three classes. I have 1A language and history, 2A maths and 3A sciences. I wanted to join a martial arts club…" I pout a little at what's left of my cake. "…but Papa's afraid I might hurt or kill someone." I stick the last bite of cake in my mouth.

"You do martial arts Min-Chan?" Asks Honey. I smile and nod.

"I also play music and create art." I look up at Papa standing right behind me. "Papa is in negotiations with someone about one of my latest projects." He smiles down at me.

"We'll discuss that more tonight," I nod up to him. "Be ready in about an hour." I smile and wave as he leaves again.

"So…" I tap my chin as I contemplate out loud. "…wouldn't I have to call you big brother?" I look over at Tamaki who is lost in thought. He snaps out of it quickly and I'm engulfed in another hug. I'm going to have to get used to getting touched like this.

"I've got a little sister!"

"You poor soul." Haruhi shakes her head, deadpanning.

"I know," I sigh. "I've been given more hugs and been picked up more in the past four hours than I have been since I was born. At this rate I'm going to be suffo-" Just then Tamaki squishes me harder squealing about how cute I am and how he's going to be the best big brother. "-cated. Big brother…I can't…breathe." He releases me and I'm a little light headed from the sudden rush of oxygen. He steadies me with his hands on my shoulders as I waver a little. I bring my hand to my head. "Woah. Head rush." I look up at Tamaki as the world stops spinning. I smirk at him as I stare into his eyes.

"Woah," he exclaims as he grabs my face. "Your eyes…they're two different colors!"

"Uh…yeah…it's called heterochromia. I have one blue eye and one green eye. You can't tell until you look closely though." I was able to stop myself before continuing my sentence. I don't need to think about that now. Papa doesn't want the club to know yet, so he locked my files which is why Kyoya can't access them. The group gathers around behind Tamaki after he declared his discovery.

"Hey Minette…If the Chairman is your dad, why are you living in the apartment next to me? Why aren't you living with Tamaki-senpai?" Asked Haruhi.

"Because Papa didn't adopt me. Mama did. She asked me to call the Chairman Papa, but I'm not a Suoh. When Mama sent me here to meet big brother, I asked if I could have an apartment instead of a mansion all to myself. She agreed as long as she and Papa got to pick it out. Papa chose that apartment because you would be my neighbor and he knew you were trustworthy. Mama agreed hoping that the apartment would make me feel more comfortable seeing as I was a middle class American most of my life. Being thrown into the world of the rich is exhausting." I smiled at her.

"Little sister…if my dad didn't adopt you…who did?"

"Anne-Sophie de Grantaine." I state matter-of-factly. "My name is Minette Charlisa de Grantaine." I stare at Tamaki as a fleeting look of shame and pain are quickly pulled behind a smile. "Hey…stop that. Mama is fine. She told me lots about you René." I tilt my head and smile up at him, mentioning his childhood name. "She told me that you'll be the best big brother ever, so take good care of me..." I giggle hoping to push the dark clouds that hide behind his smile. "Mmmkay?"

"You're so…CUTE!" He squeals before engulfing me in another hug. I smile as I bury my face into the crook of his neck. He smells of roses and sandalwood. I don't know what it is about smells, but they're what I always remember about people. "What are you doing little sister?"

"Making memories…"I hum out as I finally pull away. "People always leave. They can't be around you forever, so you make memories to hold them close until the next time you meet. One thing that sticks around the longest is how people smell." I smile as I look at him. "Now I will always remember that big brother smells of roses and sandalwood." I watch as a smile forms on his face.

"Silly sister. I'm not going anywhere."

"I know…but I have to go back to France on the long breaks, so during those times…I'll bring Mama roses and sandalwood oil and tell her all about our adventures, so that when you see her again one day…all you have to worry about is giving her a big hug…mmmkay?" Tamaki looks at me with a look that somehow mixed together sorrow and amazement.

"Minette…" He whispered just as the door swung open.

"Little Miss. It's time to get ready for dinner."

"I'll be right there Jackson. Is the escort ready or are we fighting our way to the car again?" I can feel everyone's curious gaze burning into the back of my head.

"The escort is ready Miss." I nod and glance at everyone.

"…what?"

"Woooooah…there's a whole bunch of people outside!" Honey exclaims from the window. Everyone rushes to confirm his discovery.

"Why are there paparazzi outside?"

"We're just students…" I smile at their backs before turning to walk towards Jackson. Jackson is my butler/bodyguard. He's about 6' tall and built. He's former military, so I try to keep him on his toes without going overboard. He looks mean to most people, which serves it's purpose, but I know that he's a giant softy. He's going to be staying in the apartment directly below mine, so he'll always be nearby if I need him yet I can still have my freedom. When I finally get to Jackson's side I turn to face the group gawking at the window.

"You may be just students," I smile cheekily. "but I am the world's golden child." I pull my hands behind my back. "Kyoya, Papa said he'll release my file the day before school starts." I pull a flash drive out of my boot and hold it at about shoulder height. "If you agree to keep this information between all of us in this room until then, I'll release it to you today." I raise my eyebrows at him as I extend my hand.

"Of course." He reaches out to grab it. I quickly conceal it again in the palm of my hand. He sighs realizing that I had other terms to this agreement.

"Where did the cake come from?" I ask. My eyes sparkle with laughter and excitement as Honey giggles in the background.

"Shina's Bakery down the street." I look to Jackson who just nods. Yes! Cake tonight. I smile.

"Final term." I state looking at him allowing my face to fall into a serious one. This catches his attention and he stands a little straighter. "There are many sad and maybe even a little gruesome things in here. This file…" I stop as my voice wavers. I steady myself. "…this file also holds information that cannot be released to the public at all. It is labeled private on this." I state holding up the flash drive again. "In that folder is my first hand account of everything that happened in the year between my parent's death and my adoption. Not only that but it contains pictures that have not been released to the press to my knowledge. All this information, along with the file that is being released the day before I start is on here. If you decide to take this, you are agreeing to keep the public file secret until Papa releases it and you are agreeing to keep the private file completely secret. Also realize that if you accept this, you are saying that everyone in this room is also agreeing to these terms." He stares at me, calculating if I'm being completely serious. When I don't waver in the slightest, he nods and turns to the others. I glance at them to see the seriousness in my face, stance and words were not lost on them. Slowly, they all nod to Kyoya who turns and slowly takes the flash drive from my outstretched hand. I smile slightly. "A few requests…" They all glance at me as my hand drops back to my side. "One. Go through it together. It's not easy to digest. Two. Start with the video labeled 'Hey Guys.' I had a feeling that you all would say yes." I smirked a little as I grab my right elbow and look at the floor. My voice cracks as I say my final request. "Three. Please…after learning all of this…don't treat me any differently than today. Today may have seemed simple and ordinary to you…but to me…" I glance up at all of them. As tears gently roll down my cheeks I give a genuine small smile. "…today was special…because I'm starting to remember what it feels like to be content and happy. For that…I owe you all more than I'll ever be able to repay." I turn from facing Kyoya who is studying me intently to face Tamaki. "I must apologize to you big brother." Tamaki give me a confused look.

"Why would you need to apologize little one?" He asks as he closes the distance between us.

"Because…" I stop, close my eyes and take a deep breath steadying myself. When I feel ready I open my eyes and look directly into Tamaki's concerned ones. "Because I haven't told you that you….we…we had a younger sister."

"Had?" I nod solemnly. "What happened?" I open my mouth and work my jaw trying to get the words to come out, but just like every time I try to talk about what happened to her…my voice stops working. I finally end up closing my mouth and hang my head in defeat. "I…have a hard time…talking about it…still. I'll find a way to tell you though," I say, determination taking hold. I straighten up, wipe the tears from my face and look Tamaki straight in the eye. "I give you my word on that." Tamaki nods with a sad smirk on his lips. "I can tell you this though…" I softened again. "Her name was Emmie and she always smelled of roses and sheet music….and sometimes piano polish. She could never stand for her piano to be dirty. She always kept it meticulously clean." I glance at the piano in the corner of the room. I allow the memories of listening to her play for hours run through my mind. She would play piano and I would play cello. Of course we always could switch roles, but this was our favorite. The calming classical music would bring smiles to our faces. Many times we would play out our feelings to each other…especially the ones we could never put words to. Suddenly, the sound of beeping broke me out of my memories.

"Miss. You have to change for dinner and we should be heading out shortly." Jackson hands me a garment bag.

"You can change here little sister." Tamaki smiles at me.

"I'd appreciate that." I smile back. Haruhi grabs my hand.

"I'll show you where." I smile up at her and nod as Haruhi pulls me towards the changing area. I step behind the curtain and begin my transformation. "Minette…are you going to tell him?"

"About Emmie?"

"Mmhmm."

"If he's anything like what Mama described, then you will all be over to my apartment by the end of the week. I thought of a way to tell him that won't be so depressing. Tamaki…I would rather have him learn about when she was happy…maybe then it won't hurt him so bad."

"How do you plan on that?" I pulled the curtain back and smiled.

"Don't worry Haruhi. It's already set in motion," I chuckle at her facial expression.

"You remind me a little of Kyoya-Senpai." I chuckle as we walk back out to the group.

"Jackson. Did you grab my flats?" He smiles at me before handing them over.

"As if I'd forget." I smile as I take them and pull them on.

"You always have my back Jackson."

"Little one…You look so grown up!"

"Isn't that outfit…"starts Hikaru.

"…a little too sexy?"Kaoru finishes. I glance down at my clothes. I'm wearing a black v-neck three quarter sleeve shirt that tucks under my white and black a-line skirt that falls to my knees with black flats. My hair falls around my shoulders being held from my face with a white headband. The only jewelry is my silver bar bracelet that I never take off. I glance back at the boys.

"Jackson. Make a note to bring kleenexes for when I do have to wear something sexy." I smile brilliantly. "This is just business casual. I'm barely showing cleavage." I tap my chin for a second as I think. "Jackson. We might just want to bring kleenexes in general…they might even go a little crazy when I wear what Papa wants me to wear as my uniform." I smile wickedly. "It's going to be fun." I drop my hands loosely to my sides, turn towards Jackson while looking over my shoulder at the boys and Haruhi. "Anyway…I shouldn't be late for dinner. I'll see you all soon!" I wave over my shoulder as I walk out the door Jackson held open._ So that was the Host Club. Mama was right. They will make life interesting._


	3. Dinner at the Convention Center

Everyone watches as the door closes after Minette leaves.

"I have a little sister." Tamaki finally breaks the silence.

"Seems so…should we look at this flash drive?" Kyoya turns towards the group. The twins look at each other nervously. Honey looks at Mori before looking back at Kyoya.

"I think we should only look at what the Chairman is going to release and she can tell us everything else when she's ready." Mori nods in agreement.

"Yeah. She seems nice enough…" starts Hikaru.

"Yet…she seems so broken." Kaoru finishes.

"When she was moving in, she said that her Mama sent her here to heal. That her Mama thought she needed to start creating her own family again because back in France she would lock herself in her bedroom. For the longest time, she refused to even get out of bed. Minette said she had to cut her hair before coming because most of it was so matted that the best hairstylists couldn't even comb through it," explains Haruhi. "Her giving us that flash drive proves that she trusts us, but I agree with Honey-Senpai. I think it would be more beneficial to not only her, but to us if we let her talk to us little by little. I think she'd trust us more." Everyone looks at Haruhi and nods.

"So…we should give the flash drive back," declares Tamaki. "My little sister needs to trust us because that will make her happy." He smiles at everyone.

"So Boss…"

"…do you happen to know…"

"…where her business dinner is at?" the twins finish together. Everyone freezes. She never mentioned where the dinner was happening. She didn't even mention who it would be with. Just then Kyoya's phone rings. The club freaks out as Kyoya calmly takes the phone call.

"Hello."

"Kyoya. Where are you?"

"Father." Everyone stops in the background. "I'm still at school with my friends."

"Seems no one was told then. All of you need to meet at the address I will send to your phone. You are all to be at the business dinner tonight. We are meeting our new business partner."

"Of course. We are on our way." Just as Kyoya hangs up, Haruhi's phone rings.

"Hey dad…what do you mean? Oh…okay. I'll see you shortly." She hangs up. "I guess I'm to change into a dress and go with you guys." She looks at them confused. "I guess we were invited to the business dinner too." Her phone beeps again and she looks at it.

_I left a dress for you in the changing room. ;) -M_

Haruhi chuckles and shakes her head.

"What's so funny Haru-Chan?"

"Minette left a dress for me in the changing room." Everyone looks to one another in shock as Haruhi goes to get changed.

"Don't you think you should have told them?" Jackson asks from the seat next to me.

"They'll figure it out sooner or later. Do you have the other flash drive?"

"Of course. What are you planning?" I smirk at my reflection in the window.

"I'm testing to see what kind of people they are. I already know Haruhi, but the others…I only have the stories from Mama and Papa to go off of. I need to know for myself. This little test will tell me all I need to know." Jackson nods as we pull up to the convention center. The largest hall was rented out to us for this dinner. Jackson gets out first and opens my door for me. It still feels weird allowing others to escort me places, open doors and such. I'm used to doing everything for myself. Not going to lie though…at first it was kind of nice. Now…it's getting tedious. I sigh as I climb out. "Thank you Jackson." He just nods in my direction as he closes the door behind me. "Hey Jackson…" I smile cheekily. He narrows his eyes cautiously at me. "Wanna have a wager or two?" He eyes me suspiciously before he sighs.

"What did you have in mind?" I smile brilliantly as we walk up the front steps towards the entrance.

"$20 says that one of them will say I would make a cute couple with someone."

"Deal."

"$20 says that someone will ask about marriage and/or dating history."

"Deal. This is just supposed to be a business dinner, remember." I smile because he doesn't seem to remember Mama's warning that during the actual dinner I'd possibly be asked personal questions.

"$60 says that Papa didn't release my file to anyone even though he was supposed to release it to the parents attending this dinner."

"Deal." I look at him not concealing the surprise from my face.

"You are about to lose $100. Do you have a gambling problem or something?" He just shakes his head with a smile on his face as he pulls the door open for me. We enter into a welcoming reception room.

"Ah. You must be Miss Grantaine." I nod to the nicely dressed receptionist and smile.

"I am."

"Right this way Miss. You already have some guests waiting. I'll escort the others back as soon as they arrive."

"Thank you." We follow the receptionist down a long hallway and into a large banquet hall.

"Minette!" Papa nearly squeals as he runs over to pick me up and hug the crap outta me.

"Papa…I…can't…breathe…" I gasp out.

"Sorry…" he replies sheepishly as he sets me down. I cough and waver as the oxygen rushes into my system. "You look cute." I smile up at him.

"Thank you." I jump behind Jackson as he gets that look on his face that says he's going to pick me up again.

"That was super cute! Come on…" He holds out his hands toward me. "Let Papa give you a hug." I peer around Jackson's leg and narrow my eyes at Papa.

"But Papa…you already squished me." His face begins to fall. I sigh and roll my eyes. He's such a child. "How about I hold your hand instead?" I smile sweetly from behind Jackson. He perks up at that and I grab his hand. I look up at him cutely and ask, "Aren't you going to introduce me to your friends Papa?" He smiles at me an walks me over to the group of people that have watched our exchange with varying degrees of interest.

"Minette I'd like you to meet Yoshio Ootori. He's the head of the Ootori Group." I hold my free hand out to him and give him my brilliant smile.

"It's a pleasure to meet you!" He grips my hand firmly and nods.

"Likewise." Not even a hint of a smile. Tough crowd.

"This is Yuuichi Ootori. He's Yoshio's first born." I hold my hand out to him just like I did his father and smile.

"It's a pleasure to meet you!" He grips my hand and nods. A faint smile graces his lips as he glances at me.

"This is Akito Ootori. Yoshio's second son." He seems to study me more than his brother or father did and before Papa finishes his sentence, Akito stretches his hand out to me.

"It's my pleasure to meet you Miss Minette." I smile sweetly. I gently, but firmly grip his hand.

"The pleasure is mine." I can feel him watch me as we move onto the next in line.

"This is Fuyumi Ootori-Shido and her husband Mr. Shido. Yoshio's only daughter and son-in-law."

"Ooo. Aren't you the cutest thing?!" Fuyumi squeals as she pulls me into a hug. "You would look so cute with Honey-Chan…or Taka-kun…or even Kyo-kun…" I deadpan as she starts listing the host club members. I hold out my hand towards Jackson who grumbles as he places $20 in my hand. I fold it up and tuck it in my bra as the questioning looks are directed my way.

"I'm making money the fun way." I chuckle a little evilly before I smile innocently. I hold out my hand to Mr. Shido so we can shake hands and move on. Papa looks at me a little funny before sighing and moving on.

"This is Akira Morinozuka and this is Yorihisa Haninozuka." I shake hands and greet them, their stern expressions not lessening for me in the slightest. "And their youngest sons Satoshi Morinozuka and Yasuchika Haninozuka." Satoshi smiled widely at me where Yasuchika was cordial. "Finally, we have Mr. and Mrs. Hitachiin with their youngest Ageha." The little girl clung to her dad shyly as I waved to her before shaking hands with the Hitachiins. "You already know…" but before he can finish I hug the woman he gesture to.

"Ranka!" I giggle.

"How are you doing sweetie?"

"Good." I smile up at him.

"You look cute."

"Thanks!" I smile. "Hikaru and Kaoru thought this was too sexy." I cocked my eyebrow as I looked up at him after glancing at my attire. I look over at their mother, who I already know designs clothes, and see a look on her face that says something along the lines of 'really?'. I point to it and say, "That's basically what I said." I smiled up at her as she smiles at me. I walk back over to Papa and look up at him. "I have a dress at home that would make you blush." I look at the others with a slightly mischievous look on my face. "Wonder what the boys would do if I wore it." Mrs. Hitachiin out right laughs as I get chuckles from most of the others.

"I like you." She smiles at me. Just then, the host club walks in. We turn to face them. I smile at Haruhi.

"Hey Haruhi! How's the dress fit?" The dress was a pale minty green that flowed down to her knees. It clung gently to her torso, ruffled a little over her bust and had cap sleeves. The outfit finished off with cream flats and a cream choker necklace.

"Good. Thanks! Where did you get it?"

"Emmie designed it." I smile fondly at her. "I'd wear it, but my chest and shoulders are a little too big. I thought it might fit you."

"I thought Emmie was a pianist?" I smiled.

"We got bored easily." I shrugged.

"I don't mean to be rude or intrusive, but who's Emmie?" Asks Fuyumi.

"My late sister."

"I'm sorry for your loss. How old was she when she died?"

"14."

"Wait…" Kyoya starts. "Aren't you 14?" I smile and nod. "And you said she passed away about three months ago…" I smile and nod again. "So you were the same age? Does that mean you were twins?" I smiled widely and giggled.

"I thought you might be the first to figure it out. Emmie and I were mirror twins. She was five minutes my younger. We were considered highly rare children."

"Wait…" starts Akito. "Don't tell me you were the identical mirror image twins with heterochromia and Rhnull blood, who were later discovered to have eidetic memories and could read over 1500 words per minute." I raise my eyebrows at him and smile. "Not only that but you both were concert pianists and cellists. Sometimes you both even sang!"

"That's us. We also seem to have been growing slower than most children too. Doctors think I won't grow much more than this." I gesture to myself. This new information seems to catch all the Ootori's attentions and everyone is looking at me with a new curiosity.

"Minette, can we borrow you for a second?" I look over at the host club that has yet to disperse and nod.

"Sure." I turn to the other group. "If you'll excuse me for a second?" They all smile and nod. Papa places his hand on my head.

"We'll meet you all over at the table." I smile up at him and nod. I turn back to the host club as everyone else makes their way over to the table set up in the center of the room.

"What's up?" Everyone looks to Kyoya who straightens up and walks over to stand in front of me.

"We discussed it and we have decided that we would like to return this to you." He hands me the flash drive. "We want you to tell us when you are ready. We'll just read the file that the Chairman sends out." I smile at them all.

"I figured you all were going to say that." I hand the flash drive over my shoulder to Jackson who smoothly replaces it with the new drive. I hand the new flash drive to Kyoya. "This one has just the file that Papa is going to send out…along with a few other notes."

"Such as?" Kyoya asks.

"Favorite foods, diet restrictions, phone number, address, favorite animal…you know…the little bits of information that make up a person. My personality is enough to figure out." I smile cheekily. They all smile at me. I look over my shoulder and see that everyone has seated themselves in their family groups around the table. "We should probably get over there." I look back at them and smile. We walk over and take our seats. I sit next to Papa. As everyone settles, the first course is brought out.

"So Minette," I look up at Fuyumi. "Are you looking forward to school?" I shrug.

"The only classes I am required to take are language and history. I've already graduated high school and college, but the law requires that I pass all the basics here in Japan. I am a student helper in the other courses."

"You know Anne-Sophie chose your electives." I slump my shoulders.

"I remember."

"Really? What courses are those?" Asked the twins.

"Etiquette and dance. Mama thinks my skills in those areas are lacking." I wrinkle my nose a little before straightening my back. "Or as she stated 'your skills need refinement.' I already had the basics down seeing as dad was in the military." I look up at Papa. "The only class I haven't heard on yet is maths. Have my test scores come back yet?" Papa shook his head.

"They should be in by tomorrow." I nod and continue to eat.

"So…Minette…" starts Mrs. Hitachiin who glances at Fuyumi who just smiles. I sit straighter wondering what they are planning on asking. "Do you have your eyes on anyone?" Papa and Tamaki start coughing as they slightly choke on their food. I smirk, holding my hand out to Jackson who audibly sighs handing me $20.

"Never dated. Dad made sure to scare off any potential suitors. I didn't help in that area either. Having an eidetic memory and skills to defend myself scared most guys off." I smile, tilting my head. "Currently I'm not really looking. I just got to Japan and am focusing on finishing my healing." Right on time, Jackson's watch alarm goes off. He digs around in his small bag and places a small cup next to my plate before digging out a medicine bottle. He reads it and puts it back in the bag while pulling out another one. He reads it and cracks it open depositing one pill in the cup. "Keflex?" I ask looking up at Jackson.

"Yup. Last one." I nod and take my pill. He puts the now empty bottle into a side pocket while waiting for me to finish up. After I swallow, I turn to face him again and open my mouth to prove that I swallowed it. He nods and I face the table once again.

"Looks like you're about healed if that's your last one." States Akira. Jackson and I snort. Jackson then pulls out five bottles of pills from the bag and holds them up.

"That was just for the ear infection that she had." Jackson states. "These are for what she was actually talking about."

"And what was she talking about?" Asks Yorihisa. I look to Papa.

"Papa, did you send out my file to everyone like you were supposed to?" I smile innocently. His face turns a little pink as he shakes his head. I again hold my hand out to Jackson who was already digging in his wallet.

"You're going to have to give me the $40 back and I'll just give you $100. I don't have enough $20 bills." I smile as I pull out the $40 from its place under my bra strap and he hands me $100.

"Easiest $100 ever made." I smile up at him before turning to Yorihisa. "After my parent's death, Emmie and I were kidnapped. We were found a month later. We were in rehabilitation for three months before we were put up for adoption. Two months later Mama said she'd adopt us. That was about three months ago. I'm still healing from wounds I received while in captivity." The whole table had stopped and looked at me. I had kept my words simple and my emotions under wraps. I reach forward and take a bite of food while everyone watches me. After a minute of silence, I look up at Papa. "Did I say something wrong?" He shook his head and smiled at me. He placed his hand on my head as he spoke.

"No dear. You did good." I smile up at him as the second course is brought out. This course was mostly silent except for the noises made by eating. Everyone seemed to be thinking over what I had spoken. The only people unaffected were Jackson, Papa and I. The third course came out and conversation picked up again.

"You said you had skills to defend yourself?" Akira asked. I nodded and looked at Papa silently asking if I am allowed to elaborate. He gave a slight nod and I smiled.

"I am trained in Krav Maga, Brazilian Jujitsu, Hapkido, and Ninjitsu." I smile at Akira, who has a calculating gaze on his face.

"What are some of your hobbies?" Asks Mr. Hitachiin.

"Reading, writing, painting, drawing, cooking, baking, wood working, sewing…basically anything I can do to keep busy. I get bored so easily."

"You said that you already graduated college." I nod at Mr. Ootori's statement. "What did you graduate with?"

"I have my Associates Degree. I also graduated with a license for Chiropractic and Masseuse. I also have a Masters in Art History and a Bachelors in Entrepreneurship. Not only that, but I am a concert pianist and cellist. I also play violin, guitar and ukulele. I also own my own business. I also have the knowledge to pass the BAR exams, but I'm too young." I look at Mr. Ootori. His face doesn't break. No emotion shows.

"You have a business Minette?" Asks Akito. I nod.

"I deal in the business of memory keeping." Akito looked confused, so I elaborated. "I make things that help people grieve. I make angel dresses for still borns, offer photography if they know ahead of time that the baby will be still born. I make picture lanterns. I paint pictures and portraits of the deceased for families if they send me a picture. The choice for the family is to either send me one picture and I'll paint it or they can send me multiple and from that I'll get the feel of the person and paint a picture that looks like it was taken, but never happened. I also do abstract paintings that bring reminders of happy memories with the deceased. I make picture videos for funerals or memorial services. I do a few other things too, but that's the bulk of it."

"What are angel dresses?" Akito asks.

"Dresses for the baby to be buried in. In America, they're called angel dresses because if the baby is still born, it's seen as already in heaven as an angel." I shrug. "If you want to see examples, I had Jackson set up a small table in the back." I smiled at Akito. The table falls silent for a little while as everyone finishes off their food. Quietly, I ask a question that has been bugging me since the club showed up.

"Mr. Haninozuka, I have a question," he glances at me, silently urging me to ask. "I heard that you have a family rule that when family members meet, they are supposed to spar," he nods in confirmation. "Why didn't anyone spar today?" A slight smirk tugs at the corner of his lips.

"We didn't want to startle you for one. Also, this is a business dinner. It would be inappropriate." I smile back as I shrug.

"As long as everyone is aware of it, it should be fine. Please, next time don't feel like you have to hold back because of me." He chuckles a little before nodding. I glance over at a sudden movement at the table and notice that it was Fuyumi's head popping up like a thought just came to her head.

"What's your favorite music to play?" Fuyumi asks after she finished eating.

"Ooo…tough question. I tend to play what I feel, but whenever Emmie and I had our episodes we would play Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata the first movement. Every now and then we would play Chopin's Winter Wind or Beethoven's Für Elise…but that wasn't as often. Personally I've been playing covers for songs. My current songs I play is Colbie Caillat's song When the Darkness Comes or Katelyn Tarver's song You Don't Know. As I said…it depends on my mood." I shrug.

"Episodes?"

"PTSD."

"I'm sorry. I still don't understand."

"I think I can explain better than she can." Jackson speaks up. "Seeing as when she's in one, she's lost to the world." He glances at me before continuing. "An episode is when something triggers the bad memories from her captivity. She is then stuck in the memory; reliving every moment. Playing Moonlight Sonata was their way of pulling themselves out of it. It can take anywhere from a few seconds to hours to pull herself out of an episode. Sometimes they get violent as well. With those ones, we have to sedate her. Episodes are not limited to daytime triggers either. Sometimes they are night terrors. Night terrors are like nightmares, but even if your body wakes up, your mind is still stuck in the nightmare."

"So she has to pull herself out?" Asks the twins.

"In the end, yes. There are ways to help her when she's in one if that's what your asking. Smells are a big thing. If it smells different than what she remembers, then she pulls out faster. Sometimes hugs help. Sometimes just talking to her helps. By talking I mean encouraging her and reminding her that she's here, not there and that she's safe. Running your fingers through her hair and drawing lightly on her back or inner forearms with your fingers has also worked in the past."

"How can you tell if she's going into one?" Asks Honey.

"The first sign I have seen so far is she'll run her thumb against her eyebrow. That's usually my first sign that she's getting triggered. Next she will either start rocking in place and not responding, which means she's entering one or has already gone, OR she'll start scratching without stopping. Every now and then, she'll just drop into an episode without any warning, but that's rare."

"You keep saying trigger. What's a trigger?" Asks Haruhi.

"Something that brings back a memory or partial memory. I'd give you examples, but I'd rather not send her into an episode."

"A big trigger lately has been silence. Emmie and I were always together. Even when we were alone, we were still together. I'd be in one room and she'd be in another. We'd even sleep in the same bed most nights…even though we shared a bedroom and had our own beds. I could always hear her breathing or moving…I could hear what she was doing…so now that she's gone and I live alone…the silence gets me sometimes. Back in France, Mama let me sleep in her room…and there were enough people around that most days I could manage. Now that I'm in Japan…I live alone again." I shrug. "I have a key to Jackson's apartment, so we'll see how it goes." I smile and shrug. I don't depend on people very often anymore. I can do this and I'll be okay…at least that's what I keep telling myself. The waiters rush to clear the table. Once the table is cleared, I look to Papa. "I think that's enough about me for a bit." I smile at everyone at the table.

"Right," Papa clears his throat, taking my hint. "Onto business. Ranka-San and Haruhi, I've asked you here because I hope that you will be willing to help me look after Minette. I trust you both to help me keep her safe…that is, if you'd be willing. I'm not asking you to support her monetarily in any way. I have and will continue to take care of all of her expenses, but I can't check on her every night. Also, I have been worried about Haruhi walking home alone. This way she'd be able to walk with Minette and Jackson." Ranka smiles at Papa.

"I am honored that you trust us so. I will gladly help where I can. We've already told her she's welcome over whenever. I even gave her a spare key to our apartment." I nodded an held up my small key ring which held my apartment key, Haruhi and Ranka's apartment key, Jackson's apartment key and a key to the dojo that Papa had specially made for me on school grounds. Papa smiles at me and Ranka.

"Thank you." He bows his head a little. He then turns to everyone else. "Let the negotiations begin."

Negotiations went well and hopefully everyone agrees to the terms set before them. I smile at everyone as everything winds down for the night.

"You're so cute!" Papa nearly squeals as he lifts me out of my seat and consumes me in a bone-crushing hug. I deadpan while looking at Yoshio who is in my direct eye-line since my head is squished against Papa's chest. I huff a little.

"Papa…" I huff again. Being picked up constantly is annoying. "Can you put me down please?"

"Right. Sorry pumpkin." He places me back into my chair and I smooth out my skirt as I smile up at him.

"It's alright Papa…but please contain yourself tomorrow when we meet with your mother." The aura around the table darkens and I can feel everyone's guarded contempt for the woman.

"You're meeting with grandma?" I smile and nod.

"Why?" Asks Kyoya. My smile widens and darkens at the same time. I have something up my sleeve. I have a promise to keep.

"A business proposal. Figured that I should meet with her separate especially since I'll be representing Mama in tomorrow's proposal. Tonight was about my section of the company. Tomorrow is about Mama's side." I shrug. "Don't worry about it. Everything will turn out fine." I continue to smile as everyone regards me with hesitation.

"Well if you are going to be meeting with that woman," starts Hikaru.

"…you are going to need to look the part," finishes Kaoru.

"Don't worry. I have everything planned out." I smirk at them.

"You're kinda scaring me…" mentions Haruhi. I giggle.

"You have nothing to be afraid of Haruhi."

"Yeah but in the short time I've know you…you're like Honey, Kyoya and the twins had a love child." I couldn't help but laugh as Honey, Kyoya and the twins shot Haruhi a look that mingled disgust and amusement. I wipe my eyes before the tears can fall as I catch my breath.

"A love child? Really Haruhi?" I chuckle. "This is nothing. You should have seen Emmie and I together."

"Oh god no," whispered Jackson behind me. I turned to him and feigned being hurt, placing a hand to my chest.

"We weren't that bad."

"Says the twin who singlehandedly went through four handlers before winding up with me." I smirk at him.

"No one could take a good prank." I state as I turn back to the table. "Together we went through…what seven or eight handlers total." Jackson grunted confirmation behind me. His arms crossed over his chest as he eyed me warily. I smile. Suddenly Papa places his hand on my head.

"We should get you home. You've had a long day." I nod as the fatigue I've been fighting off finally begins to settle in. I rub my eyes and yawn. I stand up from my chair and slightly bow to everyone.

"It was a pleasure meeting all of you. I look forward to seeing you all again." Once we all say our good byes, Jackson picks me up like a child and carries me to the car. Haruhi and Ranka followed close behind. The car ride home was quiet and relaxed as everyone wound down from the full night. Once home, we said our good nights as Jackson carried me into my apartment. He had to guide me through my nightly routine because I was so tired. I fell into a deep sleep as soon as my head hit my pillow.


	4. The Hosts Visit

It's been a few days since the dinner. School starts for me in two days. Currently it's the weekend and I have decided that I want to paint today. I have my music up and I'm wiggling to the music as I paint. Jackson and I set up the second bedroom as my craft room. I have been painting all week and am currently finishing up the final painting of this particular series. I decided to make it a surprise for Kyoya and the Host Club. Mostly Kyoya seeing as I painted this series for him to sell to make the Club extra money. I'm so busy that I don't hear the knock on my front door. Luckily Jackson is doing inventory of the food in my kitchen and answers for me.

"MINETTE!" He yells from the front door. I turn down my music and poke my head out the door which is enough to catch his attention. "You have visitors. Are you decent?" I nod and walk out of the room. I'm wearing jean shorts and a tank top with a paint covered apron over that. My hair is pulled back in a messy ponytail and I have paint smudged on one cheek. I tuck my paint brush behind my ear as I join Jackson in my kitchen. Seeing the host club at the door I smile.

"Hey guys! What's up?"

"We came to visit you Min-Chan!" Honey exclaimed. "We brought cake!" He giggles as he held up a big pink box. I smile gratefully.

"Well then come on in! Make yourself at home. I'm going to clean up real quick." I run back into my craft room and clean off my paint brush.

"Minette I'm running to the supermarket!" Jackson shouts out.

"Okay!"I shout back as I hang up my apron on it's hook, the twins poke their heads in. Surprise etches on their faces as they take in the finished series of pictures hanging all over the walls. I have created head shots of each club member. I also created a group shot of the twins, a group shot of Honey and Mori and a group shot that included Haruhi, Tamaki and Kyoya. The unfinished painting on my easel was a full group shot.

"Wow…" the twins sighed together.

"You two better not be…" Tamaki was yelling until he stopped right behind the twins. "Minette…did you do all of these?" He asked as everyone gathered in the doorway.

"Yup," I smile. "I thought you might like to sell them to make some money for the club…and I was bored." I state while rubbing the back of my neck sheepishly. I point to the clearly unfinished work on my easel as I begin to explain it. "That one is going to be a group shot. I'll finish it later." I glance at the group as Kyoya makes his way through. He inspects each painting as the twins discover my sketchbook shelf. Mori and Honey peer over their shoulders as they thumb through some of my work as Haruhi and Tamaki join Kyoya. "I tried to paint them so that you can either sell them as separate pieces or as a full set." I clasp my hands behind my back as I await some response. It felt like forever, but was probably just a few seconds, a small smirk crosses Kyoya's lips.

"These will do nicely," he turns to me. "What would you like in return?" I smirk.

"Kyoya," I sigh dramatically. "This is boredom, not business. If you don't want them, I'll just paint something over them." I shrug.

"I'll take them." I smile. I really just wanted to help them out, but to them it would seem weird seeing as they don't realize how much Mama and Papa have told me about them.

"I'll bring them to school on Monday then. They just have to finish drying." Kyoya nods in agreement.

"Minette…" starts Hikaru.

"…who's this?" Finishes Kaoru as he holds up one of my sketchbooks. Of course they opened a life drawing course book. I smile wickedly.

"His name was John." I begin having a hard time holding back laughter at the looks I am receiving from big brother and the twins. The look on Haruhi's face sends me over the edge and I double over in laughter.

"Minette…did you…?" asks Hikaru, which causes me to laugh so hard that I fall to my knees clutching my stomach as no sound comes out. Slowly, I catch my breath.

"That's my life drawing book," I state through my chuckles as I'm wiping my eyes. "It's an art class where you have to draw the models and all the models are naked. If you flip a few more pages you'll find sketches of Janet…a female model." They flip a few pages and all the guys faces go red. They quickly slam the book shut and put it back on the shelf. I chuckle again as I pick myself up off the floor and head out to the kitchen. Everyone files into the living room and sits down. "I have milk, water or green tea." I shout out.

"We brought this tea that our dad bought us," calls out Hikaru. I walk over to inspect it.

"It's best served as milk tea," states Kaoru. I take it from them and look to Haruhi.

"Mind helping me?" She just stands and follows me into the kitchen. I grab the tea pot as Haruhi grabs the milk.

"Ever make milk tea?" She asks.

"Nope. The tea I drink is pretty simple. In America I normally put water in a mug, stick it in the microwave until it's hot and then mix in my honey and drop in a tea bag. In France everything was made for me. Here in Japan I have to heat my water in the tea pot, but otherwise it's the same steps I used in America. I've never even had milk tea before." Haruhi just smiles as she makes the tea. I climb up onto the counter next to the fridge and pull a box off the top. "Haruhi, can you take this from me?" She quickly walks over and grabs the box from my crouched figure. I jump down and take it back. "Thanks." I bring it over to the table and begin pulling out two trays, along with a full tea set. I also grab plates and forks for the cake that was brought over. Once the trays are filled, and the cups and plates have been wiped down, Haruhi begins to fill each cup with the dark liquid. As she does that, I fill a bowl with sugar. With that, we each grab a tray and head into the living room.

"Isn't that Revol️️?" Asks Kyoya.

"Yup. Mama bought it for me as a house warming gift. She said I needed a decent tea set if I was going to be in Japan. It's called the Succession Collection in black. Ain't it cool?" Everyone quickly agrees before we are distracted again. We make small talk as Honey dishes out the cake. As we finish our cake Jackson stops back from the store. I jump up to help him quickly put everything away.

"I bought extra meat and veggies so you can make your beef stew. I know it's a bit hot out for it, but it's quick and easy for this many people."

"Thanks Jackson." We finish unpacking, throwing everything for the stew in my crock pot and I join the others again.

"I'll be downstairs if any of you need anything." Jackson calls as he closes the door behind him. Haruhi glances between Jackson and me as he leaves.

"I know Jackson is your bodyguard, but…"

"Jackson was family before that. He and Emmie were really close." I shoot her a look of _please don't ask_, which she nods to.

"Minette…isn't that you in the picture?" Kaoru points to one of my paintings on the wall. I allow a sad smile to form on my face. It's a bright, happy picture of a man and woman standing behind a young girl. They are slightly turned as if they are about to turn around and walk away. The woman is of average height and weight with long, flowing red hair and hazel eyes. Both are being accentuated by her mint green dress. The man is tall and of average build wearing jeans and a button up. His dark brown hair brings out his bright blue eyes. Both are smiling at the happy-go-lucky girl who has her arms outstretched to the person looking at the picture. She is wearing a jewel tone blue shirt that brings out the blue of her ocean blue eye. Her auburn hair that frames her face brings out the green in her other eye. Her brilliant smile makes her eyes squint a little. This scene never happened. It's just what I imagine happened when Emmie went to meet our parents. It made me feel like they are waiting to welcome me with open arms when it's my time, but until then they are happy and pain free.

"That's Emmie…and mom…and dad." A hush fell over the room as everyone looked at the picture.

"Remember at the dinner I said that people can send me multiple pictures so I get a feel for the deceased…and then I can create a picture that looks like it was taken, but it never really happened? That was my first one. This scene never happened, but…at the same time I hope it did…to me it's my family telling me that they are safe, and happy…and they're waiting for me when it's my time." I smile a little allowing happy memories of my family to float around in my head. I shake my head after a short time. "Anyway," I clear my throat. Everyone turns to look at me. "Big brother, has Madame Suoh or Papa spoken to you yet?" Tamaki narrows his eyes and shakes his head in confusion.

"No but I'm supposed to go to the main house for dinner tomorrow…" I smile brilliantly.

"Really? Me too. I'm guessing they'll tell you then." Confusion saturates the air. I chuckle as I hold up a single finger to my lips and wink. "It's a secret until Papa tells Tamaki." Haruhi narrows her eyes at me.

"What did you do?"

"Nothing bad," I shrug. "I promise," I say as I draw a little cross over my heart. Again confusion litters the room. I sigh. "Must be an American thing or something. Ever heard the term cross your heart?" Everyone shook their head. "It's a thing that little kids say when they make promises…at least in America…but the saying is _cross my heart and hope to die, stick a needle in my eye._ Basically it means that I promise on my grave or I'll take it to the grave. The hand gesture with it is usually drawing a cross or an 'X' over your chest and is sometimes followed by a pinky promise." I shrug and drop my eyes to my hands in my lap for a brief moment as an awkward feeling courses through me and leaves just as quickly. I look up at them and am met with smiles.

"Hey Min-Chan?" I look over to Honey and hum. "Who is the lady in the other picture next to the one of your family?" I smile.

"Honestly I'm kinda surprised big brother didn't say anything," I glance over to him. I catch him throwing longing glances at it. "That's Mama." I smile at it.

"So…why do you have a guitar on that wall between the two pictures?" I chuckle at the twins' question.

"It's not a guitar. It's a baritone ukulele." The ukulele is marbled purple and teal and hangs directly in the middle of the two pictures. "It was Emmie's favorite instrument besides her piano. I play it sometimes…especially when I watch her video."

"She made a video Min-Chan?" I nod.

"If you guys want to see it, I'm okay with that…but…" My face darkens and my eyes deaden a little.

"But what? What's wrong Min-Chan?" Honey kneels in front of me concerned. I smirk a little at him.

"…but it was the last thing she ever created." I notice Haruhi cringe a little in the background. She's the only one who knows at the moment.

"So…that means it's super special, right?" It's my turn to cringe. I drop my eyes to my lap as Haruhi moves over to my side and wraps me into a side hug.

"Might just want to tell them."

"Tell us what Haru-Chan?" Haruhi looks to me. I know she won't say a thing because she feels that it's my responsibility to do so. I take a deep shaky breath and lift my head. I look over Honey's head and look at Emmie in the picture that hangs on my wall.

"I was the one to find Emmie…I was running into our room to tell her that we were getting adopted. Getting adopted at our age is a miracle. I was so excited," My eyes drop to my hands in my lap as I continue. "At first I thought she was just sleeping…her back was to me when I entered the room…so I walked around the bed…" At this point Haruhi pulls me closer and tears freely flow from my eyes. "That's when I noticed the vomit…and she wasn't breathing…and her nail-beds and lips were blue…and her eyes…" I looked back up at her picture again. "…her eyes were glazed over." A sob racks my body, but I continue on anyway. "I just held her and screamed. They had to sedate me to take her away. Later…I was told that she died due to an overdose…and I found the video. The video was her letter to me." I drop my eyes back to my hands again. "Emmie ended her life…right as we were going to get another one." I chance a glance at the group. Haruhi just looks sad. I guess it's not that easy to hear the second time around. Honey, Tamaki and the twins have tears streaming down their face. Even Mori and Kyoya have tears in their eyes. "I still watch the video because I like to hear her voice sometimes. She made sure to include a lot of happy clips from our family videos, so I get to hear everyone's voice…it helps a little," I rub the backs of my hands over my eyes to rid them of their tears. I sniff and clear my throat as I continue. "I'm saying it's okay if you guys want to watch it because she also mentions what happened to us, so if I go into an episode it might give you a better idea of how to handle it…seeing as I still can't bring myself to talk about such darkness. I won't force you guys to watch it…but it's an option."

"Minette, if I may…how is it that you trust us so freely?" I smile a little at Kyoya, who's the one that spoke.

"Do you guys not know that Mama knows about all of you?" Shock spreads over their faces so quickly that I break out into a fit of laughter. As my laughter dies down into a chuckle, I nod. "Yeah. Papa keeps Mama updated. She even has pictures of you…which is how I got those paintings done so quickly. I had about a third of them completed before I even left France. I just played along with introductions and such because I thought it would weird you all out if I knew who you were but you never met me. That and I wanted to form my own opinions of you guys. I'm usually pretty shy, but I felt like I already knew you all when Papa brought me to you guys." I smile at them all and easy smiles danced on everyone's face…even Mori's.

"I think it would be nice to see the movie. Don't you agree Takashi?" Mori hums agreement to Honey's statement. Everyone agrees, so I nod and rise from my spot on the floor. I set up the DVD player quickly and get the video started.

"I'm going to check on the food while you watch this." Everyone nods as they gather in front of the TV. I listen to the opening song as I stir the stew in the crock pot. It's coming along nicely and should be done by the movie's end. I sigh as I go and settle myself next to Tamaki, my eyes glued to the screen as Emmie begins to talk.


End file.
